Concealed emergency seat structure for automobiles



CONGELED EMERGENCY SEAT STRUCTURE FOR AUTOMOBILES Fild Pofe 6, 1919 4 Sheerheeat 1 ATTORNEY June l 1926. 1,587,006

J. LEDWINKA CONCEALED EMERGENCY SEAT STRUCTURE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNY june @26o GONCEALED EMERG June 1 1926. 1,587,006

J. LEDWINKA OONCEALED EMERGENCY SEAT STRUCTURE FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed Nov. 6, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNE' Patented June 1. 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEDWINKA, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO EDWARD G.

BUDD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- POBATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ONCEALED EHERGENCY SEAT STRUCTURE FOR AUTQMOBILES.

nppucanunlnlea November 6,'1919. seria; No. aseos?.

V invention relates to concealed emergency'fQeat jstructures for automobiles.' 1 'Thgqliject of the invention is` to provide an emergency seat structure for automobiles l which niarmally is concealed but which may be raissdfinto position for use, and when raysedv..i'nto lpositionl is eliiciently retained in sucky" ition. I

gg'thcr object of the invention is to '10 provide afolding cover section for the rear ortion lof the box frame body for au? tomo iles, which in normal position closes 'a jseating space, but which when raised into position for use constitutes a seat banlrror use in connection with a seat contained vin said seating space. l A further' object of the invention is to provide suitable means for guiding" the hinged or folding cover for a concealed seat when moved to and from position for use,

and meanslfor releasably locking or retaining said folding cover when in normal position to conceal the seat.

Other objects ofv the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consistsr substantially in the construction, combination, location, and 'relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in 80 the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying,'draw ings,- I

Fig. 1 is a view 'in side elevation of one s6 type of automobile to which the concealed emergency seat structure embodying Amy invention is applied. f

Fig. 2 is a broken view in top plan of the rear portion of the automobile shown in Fig. 1 indicating the application thereto of 'a concealed emergencylseat embodying the invention.

Figs. 3 and 4 are Views in vertical section on the line 4t, 4, Fig. 2, looking in the direction 'of the arrows, parts broken o, the

former showing the emergency seat structure in open position ready for use, and the latter showing the parts in closed or concealed position.

' 50 Fi 5 is a broken detail View in section on the line 5, 5, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6' is a broken detail View in top plan,

the locking bolt structure for locking the combined seat back and coverin closed position being shown in section.

The same part is designated bythe same reference character Wherever it` occursA throughout the several views.

, In accordance with' the principles of my invention I construct the rear portion of the" body of an automobile, as for example, an automobile of the roadstery type, With a seating space designed to contain an emergency seat, and I provide a cover for this space which when in closed position conceals the seat and seating space. I form this cover preferably in folding sections, that is, sections Which fold upon each other and which may rock or swing into vertical position when it is desired to use the concealed emergency seat, and when in raised position adapted to form a rest or support for a seat back. I also propose to employ means for efficiently retaining the hinged or folding cover sections in proper position when closed to conceal the seat and its back cushion and toenclose the emergency seating space, and to prevent looseness and vconsequent rattle or shaking 'of the parts. I also repose to'provide means for efficiently but etaoh'ably locking the hinged or folding sections When in their closed position, and also to provide eliicient means for suitably guiding the swinging or folding cover sections into theirraisedor lowered position and `to retain the same in their raised position when regained 'for use.v

shown Aa concealed emergono, seatv structure" embodying' the vprinciples'. o g my inventiom reference numeral 1() designates an automobile, which, in this instance, is in appearance of the roadster type, having a rear box frame portion containing a space 11 in which is arranged the emergency seat 12. A cover for closing the space 11 and concealing 4the seat 12 consists of the sections 13, 14', which are suitably hinged together as at l5, the section 13 being connected to brackets 16 which are hinged as at 17 vto the stationary part of the automobile body as indicated at 18. The seat back. 19 is hinged as at 20 to a stationary party 21 ofthe tframe adjacent the rear portion of the seat and normally when the seat is concealed is folded down upon the seat as shown in full lines in Fig. 4 and in dotted lines in Fig. When the cover portions y13, 14, are rocked or swung intov raised position for the use of the emergency scat the back 19 is rocked upon its pivot 20 so as to lie against the raised and folded portions 13, 14,.as clearly indica-ted in Fig. 3. In order to properly guide the sont hac-k in its swinging movements and to retain the same in its raised lposition for use said seat back` has attached thereto at its opposite endssuitable arms 22, which arms at their free ends engage. in suitable guide channels 23 crried by brackets24 mounted upon the side Walls of the 'seat space llandin inclined relation s o as to permit the arms 22 to bc guided when the seat back isroekcd or swung about its pivot. The upper 'ends ot' the guide channels 23 are provided with oti'set seats indicatedrlin dotted lines in ilig. 4 into which extensions vfrom the ends ot' arius 22 are receivedV when ,the seat back is in its raised position. Suitable spring fingers 26 suitably mounted as by means ot lugs 2T on thc side Walls of space 11 engage the projections from the ends of. arms 22 .when received in the oil'- set seats 25 and rctainthcl saule in place, thus ctliciently retaining the seat back in its raised position. The scat. back is provided on its back surface with a bumper 2T, which when said seat backl is rocked into its raised position abuts against theadjacent surface ot' the cover portion liand hence retains-the cover portions 13 audit in their raised position. It' desired, the seat haci; may he equipped with the usual or any desired forni ot' upholstery or cushioning devices indicated at 28.

At its front edge the swinging and folding section 14 ot' the cover is provided with tapered blocks or biunpers.indicated at 29, which, when the cover sections 13, 14, .are rocked or strung into closed position to enclose the space 11 and conceai-.thc seat. are received in correspondingly -sliapcdl pockets or recesses 30 in the rear edge oi the stationary part 31 of the ,automobile body, thereby ellieiently retaining the cover sections in'their closed position, and by becoming vwedgedinto the sockets 30 said blocks prevent rattle ot the cover sections. The` rear edge ot the stationary part 31 ot the automobile. body is provided with a raised rib or flange 32 over which engages an angle part 33 carried by the front edge ot section 14 ot the cover, thereby toriuing a water shed device to prevent the ingress ot water through thc jointbetwecn the. stationary part 3l ot the trame andthe cover section when in closed position. Likewise, the sta* tionary part 13 of the trame is provided with an uptuiued lip or rib 45 with which cooperates thc corresponding overhauging flange portion 35 on the rear edge. ot the section'l of the top to prevent ingress of Water into the space occupied by the concealed seat when the cover is in its-closed position.

In order to detachably lock the cover sections 13, 14, when in their closed position, 1 provide the side edges'of the section 13 of the cover with transversely extending barreis4 36, see Fig. 6, in which are positioned. locking plungers -37 yieldingly urged outwardly by means of coil springs 38 into sockets or recesses 39 in the side walls 40 of the seating space 11 when the top section 13 is in its closed position. The locking plungers 37 are connected by rods 41 to oposite ends of a rock arm 42 carried by a. stud 43 having a handle portion 44 by means of which said stud 43 may be rocked to withdraw the locking plungers 37 Jfrom enga gement in the locking sockets 39 when it is desired to raise the cover portions. The handle 44 also attords convenient means by which the sections 13, 14 ot the cover may be movedA into their raised or lowered into their closed position.

The o )eration is exceediuol simi le. As

suming the parts to be in their normal closed position, as shown in Fig. 4, when it is desired to utilize the concealed emergency scat the hand piece 44 is grasped and rotated so as to withdraw the locking bolts 37 and release the cover sections. By then raising on the hand piece 44 the cover seotion 13 is rocked or swung about its pivot 1T towards raised position while the cover section 14 is initially withdrawn rearwardl \Y to disengage the bumper blocks 29 from their sockets 30, and thereafter the section 14 of the cover rocks or swings back upon the section 13 while the latter rocks or swings into vertical position. .In practico the, hinge brackets 1G are so dis-l posed with respect to the pivotal axes thereot that when the cover sections. 13, 14 are in their raised position they pass slightly beyond the dead center of the axes of pivots 17 and hence tend to remain in their aised position. After the cover sections 13, 14 are thus raised the seat back 19 is likewiso raised or swung into vertical or raised position, the guide arms 22 being properly aud suitably guided in the channels 23 until the projections on the arms 22 are received in the offset sockets or recesses 25.' When in Ithis position the spring fingers 26 engage behind the projections or arms 22 and retain thel saine and with them the sent back 19 in their raised positions. -The emergency seat is thereby revealed and the automobile is converted from a single seated roadster into a. double seated car. The lparts now occupy the posit-ion indicated in full lines in Fig. 3. When the emergency seat is no longer required for usc the spring lingers 26 are raised so as to release the projections or arms 22 and thereupon said projections are lifted out of the sockets and the seat back is then permitted to be swung down upon the seat 12 into the space 11. The folding and swinging coverv sections 13,- 14, are then rocked or swung from their raised position into their closed position, the front edge of the sect-ion 14 becoming distended into line with section 13 with the bumper blocks 29 on the front edge thereof Wedging into the sockets or recesses 30, thereby eiiiciently retaining these parte against rattle. Nhen the sections 13. 14, atta-in their closed positions the locking bolts 37 snapinto their locking seats 39 and thereby lock the parts in their closed positions as shown in Fig. 4.

Having now set forth the objects and nature of my invention, and a. construction enibodying the principles thereof, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-

1., in a concealed emergency lseat structure for automobiles, the combination with an automobile body having an emergency seating space, and a seat arranged therein,

of acover for said space, said cover being `rhinged to the body, projections carried by ttt the cover, and seats tormed in the body to receive said projections when the cover 1s closed, to hold the same against loosenessforl rattle.

QIn a concealed emergency seat struc'- ture for automobiles, the combination with an automobile body having an emergency seating space, and a seat arranged therein, of a cover for said space,'said cover'being hinged `to the body, and cooperating projectionsand seats in the end surfaces of said cover and body at their meeting edges to hold the former against looseness and rattle when in closed position.

3. in aconcealed emergency scat structure for automobiles, the combination with an automobile body having an emergency seating space, and a fixed seat bottom arranged therein, of a hinged back for said seat, guideways carried by the side walls of said seating space, and arms connected to the back and engaging in said guides.

4. In a concealed emergency seat structure for automobiles, the combination with an automobile body having an emergency www@ fa seating space, and a fixed seat bottom arranged therein, of a hinged back for said seat, guideways carried by the side walls of said seating space, said guideways having offset seats at their upper ends, and arms connected to the back and engaging in said guides, and received in said offset seats when the scat back is raised into position for use, and means to retain said arms' in said offset seats.

G. ln a concealed emergency seat structure for automobiles, the combination with an automobile body having an eiiieigency` seating space, and a fixed seat bot-tom arranged tliei'eiii of a hinged back for said h 9 i-s seat, guideways carried b v the side walls of said seating space, said guidewiiys having offset seats at their upper ends, and arms connected to the back and engaging in said guides, and received in said oi'set seats when the scat back isv raised into position vtor use, and spring fingers to engage said and a lcover to the body 'and adapted to swing into position to open or close Said seating space. said seat back engaging'said cover, when in position for use, to retain said cover'in its open position.

R. The combination 'with an automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a fixed seat bottom mounted within said compartment, a seat back hinged to the body to swing into the compartment and upon said seat bottoni when not required for use, and a hinged closure for said opening, said seat back being so mounted that, in its operative position, it retains the closure in open. position.

9. The combination with an automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a fixed scat bottom mounted in said compartment, a seat back hinged to the body to swing into said com paitment when not required for use, and a closure for said opening, said closure also hinged to said body, said seat back being so mounted that, in its operative position, it extends through said opening and engages the hinged closure retaining the latter in open position.

10. The combination with an automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a fixed seat bottoni mounted in said compartment, a scat bark hinged to the body to swing into said yconipartmeiit when not required for use and a closure for said opening comprising a pair of sections hinged together and one of ag,v 1,587,006

them hinged to the body, said seat back being aio-mounted that, in its operative position, it extends through said openingl and engages said closure sections folded upon each other to retain the closure in open position.l

11. The combination with an automobilel body having a compartment with a topopening therein, of a seat arranged in said compartment and a closure for said opening, said closure comprising a pair of sec-4 tions hinged together, one of said sections being hingedly connected to the body and" the other having projections extending 1011-, gitudinally from the end surface thereof and fitting in recesses formed in the body at one edge of said opening.

l2. The combination with an automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a seat arranged insaid compartment, a closure for saidv opening,

said closure comprising a pair of sections 13. The combinationwith an. automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a iixed seat bottom mounted in said compartment and a closure for said opening con'iprising a pair of sections hinged together and one of them hinged to the body, said closure sections being foldableto bring the forward section substantially parallel to and in front of the rear section in the open position of ythe closure.

14. The combination with an automobile body having a compartment with a top opening therein, of a fixed seat bottoni mounted-in said compartment, a seat back hinged in said compartment to swing down' into said compartment and t0 a raised. posin tion in which it extends through said opening and a closure for said opening comprisinga pair of sections hinffed together, and one of them hinged to theio'dy, said ciosu're sections being foldable upon each other to bring. the forward section substantiaiijz parallel'to and in front of the rear section in the open lposition of the closure, said seat back, in its open or raised position, en`

gaging the forward section to hold vthe closure sections against movement.

-In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 23rd day of October, A. D.

1919. JOSEPH LEDWNKA. 

